Santa...

Santa... That sweet man with the big soft tummy and big soft heart, love for everyone, gifts to share, joy to bring...

I wonder if some people don't think of our God like they think of Santa. The Sacred Santa of heaven, the One Who loves everybody, wants to fill our every need, fill us with happiness and joy.

Oh, and He does!! But not in the way we expect it. Often what we expect is warped from the disease of sin that we all share. Often our image of God is just that...an image of OURS. A wrong image.

I was never guilty of thinking of God as Santa-like. For me it was opposite, my image was a frowning unhappy old guy with a giant flyswat raised in waiting...waiting to swat me when I messed up. That too was a wrong image.

No, God is not a Santa. But He is the one who decides.

What is 'naughty and nice' is determined by HIS Word...by What HE says.

He is Shopet...Hebrew for judge.

He judges, He decides, He governs.

"Rise up, O Judge of the earth.." Psalm 94:2

"You have come to God, the judge of all men...."Hebrews 12:23

But there is a list.

A very important list. Just one.

And it is written in what scripture calls the Book of Life.

And 'if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life' (Rev 20:15, that person will not see 'the city that does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light...' (Rev.21:23) "Nothing impure will ever enter there, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.' (Rev. 21:27)

Forget Santa's list. My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Written in red.

Thank You Jesus.

Options....

I am thankful for options. Well....sometimes

God gave me options. We refer to it as 'free will'. It stinks sometimes. At least in my experience.

Sometimes I find myself praying to Him to change my options, and to change what I find myself opting for !! Often my desire is for something I know I should not have the desire FOR in the first place!

Often when I am faced with a choice, I hear His Spirit whispering to me....'....might ought to rethink your options Connie, that one is not best...don't fall for a lie again...you do have an enemy, he is the father of lies and a deciever...trust Me on this...'

So many times, I have been slow to learn.

There are many times when I wish I didn't have to choose....I wish I didn't have to be responsible for choosing the right option. Man, it gets really hard sometimes.

But....if God had not created as He did, if He had not given us that 'free will', we would not be capable of loving Him...only required to serve Him. We would not have a gift to give Him, He would control us completely without any other option for us.

What good would that be? Love is not love at all if it is not given.

My husband loves me, and I am not always very lovable. He stays in our marriage NOT because he doesn't have another option. He comes home every day, he loves me even when I'm grouchy....even when I'm sad, even when I'm angry. He opts to do that. (Thank God!! and thank you sweetheart....)

"Find your delight in the Lord. THEN He will give you the desires of your heart...Commit your life to Him..." (Ps.37:4)

God asks us to commit ourselves to Him, entrusting every decision to His authority. He gives me information in scripture, revealing to me His character. I can not trust Him if I don't KNOW Him.

And as I continue to get to know Him, my trust grows, my surrender becomes more and more complete. My security becomes more and more unshakeable in the waiting.

I have learned from my options. I've chosen poorly often. And I've learned that God is faithful to act, even though He must often wait until I've used up all my other options before coming to Him in full surrender, opting for His guidance.

Whispers...

Whisper… I’m thankful I can still hear a whisper.

This morning, I heard a whispered ‘bye’ from my husband as he left for work. I roused from deep sleep to hear it, and I wonder now how many whispered goodbyes I’ve not heard from him as he quietly leaves me snuggled down to sleep until my own alarm rings.

A few days ago, an old classmate friend voiced a thankfulness for the whispers of his grand-daughter, and a thankfulness that God empowers him to understand this special child. I pray he understands every one of her whispers.

I wonder how many whispers I don’t hear. I wonder how many I ignore, brush aside… how many are whispered amidst the stormy situations of my day only to be missed because I am listening only to the rage of the storm.

I am thankful that God speaks in powerful ways, in miraculous ways. But oh how I love hearing His whispers! How precious it is to hear that still small voice speak to my spirit, calming my fears, reassuring and rescuing me.

“…then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came…..a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood….then a voice said to him…….” (1 Kings 19:11ff)

Thank you Father for the whispers.

Overwhelmed....

Overwhelmed… I’m thankful that even though I sometimes am, The Great I Am is not….

Even when I feel like the battle is being lost, even when I am ‘overwhelmed with dread….God IS present….’ (Ps. 14:5)

“In my distress I call to the Lord, I call out to my God. From His temple He hears my voice..” (2 Sam. 22:5)

Today I am again thankful to Him that He is THE Almighty. He is ALL Powerful. Even when I am under His rod of discipline, over and over He has promised “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake You.” (Deut. 31:6. Josh. 1:5, 1 Ch. 28:20)

I am often overwhelmed. The older I get, the more I realize how powerless I am. The longer I live, the more opportunities I have to experience my utter helplessness. And I am thankful that He has revealed to me the truth about my weakness.

As His child, I am not left to my own resources, for they are so insufficient.

“His grace is sufficient for me, for HIS power is made perfect in MY weakness..” (2Cor. 12:9 personalized by me)

It has always been when I am utterly overwhelmed that I feel His Presence most profoundly. When the opposition looks beyond overcoming, in His perfect time, His Hand moves, and mountains crumble.

In heavenly armor we enter the land
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord

The power of darkness comes in like a flood
The battle belongs to the Lord
He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood
The battle belongs to the Lord

When your enemy presses in hard do not fear
The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near
The battle belongs to the Lord

We sing glory and honor
Power and strength to the Lord

Thank You Father that in all things, we can be more than conquerors (Rom.8:37), through You…. You Who loves us perfectly…

Cotton...

Cotton… Today, I’m thankful for cotton.

One of my clients once used the term ‘fabric snob’. I like that term.

I think I might be one.

I like nice fabrics. I love good cotton fabrics. Expensive silks and cashmeres are ok, satin I can pass…but a good cotton is hard to beat, in my opinion.

If you don’t think so, try sleeping on a nice high thread count sheet for a few nights, then go back to a 200 thread count set! Your skin will tell you the difference.

I think it’s ok to be a fabric snob.

Scripture has a lot of examples of fine linens. The Proverbs 31 woman had fine garments, carpets, bed coverings….and she is said to be the ‘wife of noble character, worth far more than rubies’.

God created beauty. He made the first garments, they were ‘garments of skin’. (Gen. 3:21)

He gave many instructions about weaving fabrics and making things.

“Weave the tunic of fine linen, make the turban of fine linen…the sash to be the work of an embroiderer..” (Ex. 28:39)

The priests garments must have been very beautiful. Fine fabrics, beautiful colors, ornately decorated….you should read the descriptions for yourself. (Ex. Chapters 28&29, Lev. chapters 8,&16)

My High Priest owned one thing of any value. He had a plain, seamless, woven garment.

He watched as it was gambled over.

I happen to think His mother made it for Him.

And I think it was cotton. A very high thread count, soft, comfortable, cotton.

Thankful...

Thankful.. Webster says it’s an adjective. That means it describes. I found a list of words that have similar meaning in our language…

Grateful, gratified, satisfied, contented, pleased, appreciative… You get the idea.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name.” (Psa. 100:4)

The Hebrew word ‘yadah’ is translated thankful in that verse. The use of that word showed an action or motion in their language, as well as an acknowledgment.

I was convicted this morning about my decision to be ‘thankful’. That still small voice asked, “Are you really, Connie?”

You see, I was thinking about the word ‘wrath’ because of some questions in a Bible lesson.

I thought I’d write that I was thankful for God’s wrath, because His wrath is birthed out of His complete holiness and His perfect love for me. He loves. He disciplines. And I want to appreciate the value of that discipline.

But do I really? Or do I just know I should, and wish I did in fact appreciate the discipline? Am I really thankful for it?

Are you?

I challenge you to examine your heart as well. We do not want to be in a downward spiral…like the Romans that Paul wrote to…

“…The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth…..although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God, nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened…” (Rom.1:18,21)

I don’t want to just acknowledge God. I want to treat Him like Who He IS.

I don’t want to simply recognize the reasons I should be thankful. I want there to be an action on my part, a motion, an exhibition in my life somehow, somewhere…that I know from Whom all blessings flow,

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below,
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Praise God, The Father, Who’s the Source,
Praise God, The Son, Who is the course,
Praise God, The Spirit, Who’s the flow,
Praise God, our Portion, here below.

Amen.

Hallow....

Hallow…. I thought about that word a lot over the Halloween week-end. It’s come and gone now…

There is very little hallow about Halloween… except this year, it fell on Sunday, the day that we should have hallowed to God.

Hallow isn’t a word we use much, unless we are reciting what is known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’….. “Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name….”

To hallow something is to give it a higher purpose. It means to set it apart for a special use, dedicate to a special purpose.

I wonder if we really hallow God’s Name.

I fear we speak His Name rather flippantly sometimes. Do we grasp how holy He is? How utterly perfect? How complete and absolutely other than we are?

This first day of November, I again begin to purpose myself to counting and naming the blessings that God has granted to me. I hallow this season of giving thanks to Him, “…proclaiming aloud Your praise and telling of all Your wonderful deeds…” (Ps. 26:7)

And I challenge you.

Be specific.

No broad brush strokes….not just “I’m thankful for my health, for my family, for my freedom….etc.”

All those things are certainly things to be very thankful for, but I challenge you to articulate and spell it out.

I’m thankful too for my health.

I’m thankful I don’t sit somewhere this morning, like many are doing right NOW, with a needle in my arm, injecting me with chemotherapy to fight a cancer raging in my body.

Yet, I am thankful that there are ways to fight cancer, and I pray right now for those who DO sit in those therapy rooms, those who are fighting for longer physical life, that God will bring healing to them thru that treatment, that He will remove fear, that if that person does not know Him as Savior, that He will put some bold child of God in their path to speak His Name and His message of salvation, so they may know the joy of His salvation and have a secure eternal life, as well as a longer physical life.

I’m thankful for my health.

I’m thankful that my hands have served me for 36+ years doing the work that I do. I’m thankful they don’t hurt worse than they do. I’m thankful they are not gnarled with arthritis, and I pray right now for those who do battle that pain. I pray for that one who this morning, in this cool damp fall air, hurts because of it.

I know many who do.


Thank You Father, for my strong body. The body that birthed two sons. The body that is fit and able to work and play. This body I offer afresh to You this morning, as a living sacrifice…take my everyday ordinary life, consume me, use me, show Your glory, have Your will and way, accomplish Your purposes.

You are God...You are holy...Hallowed is Your Name.